Display device and method of driving the display device

Abstract

A display device including a display panel including a display area including a fingerprint sensing area and a plurality of pixels provided in the fingerprint sensing area; a sensor layer provided on one surface of the display panel overlapping the fingerprint sensing area, the sensor layer including a plurality of photo sensors; a panel driving circuit configured to output a data signal corresponding to image data to the display panel, corresponding to a first mode, and to output a driving signal to the display panel to allow the pixels to emit lights in a form corresponding to a predetermined light pattern, corresponding to a second mode; and a fingerprint detecting circuit configured to receive sensing signals from the photo sensors, corresponding to the second mode, the fingerprint detecting circuit detecting a fingerprint of a user, based on a sensing signal corresponding to the light pattern among the received sensing signals.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A display device comprising:
 a display panel comprising a display area comprising a fingerprint sensing area and a plurality of pixels provided in the fingerprint sensing area; 
 a sensor layer disposed on one surface of the display panel overlapping the fingerprint sensing area in a plan view, the sensor layer comprising a plurality of photo sensors; 
 a panel driving circuit configured to output a driving signal to the display panel to allow the pixels to emit lights in a form corresponding to a predetermined light pattern; and 
 a fingerprint detecting circuit configured to receive sensing signals from the photo sensors, the fingerprint detecting circuit detecting a fingerprint of a user, based on a sensing signal corresponding to the light pattern among the received sensing signals, 
 wherein: 
 at least one of amplitude, pulse width, and phase of lights emitted from the pixels is changed corresponding to the light pattern; 
 the panel driving circuit outputs a data signal corresponding to image data to the display panel, corresponding to a first mode, and outputs the driving signal to the display panel corresponding to a second mode; and 
 the fingerprint detecting circuit receives the sensing signals from the photo sensors, corresponding to the second mode. 
 
     
     
       2. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein the driving signal is a sensing data voltage having a voltage level changed depending on a certain period, the sensing data voltage being supplied to data lines coupled to the pixels. 
     
     
       3. The display device of  claim 2 , wherein the certain period is set to one frame. 
     
     
       4. The display device of  claim 2 , wherein the panel driving circuit is configured to supply the driving signal to the pixels while sequentially scanning the pixels provided in the fingerprint sensing area during each frame in the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode. 
     
     
       5. The display device of  claim 4 , wherein the pixels provided in the fingerprint sensing area are configured to sequentially emit lights according to a scanning sequence thereof during each frame, or simultaneously emit lights during a predetermined emission period in the frame. 
     
     
       6. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pixels comprises a light emitting device, and a transistor located on a current path along which driving current flows through the light emitting device, the transistor being turned on corresponding to the driving signal. 
     
     
       7. The display device of  claim 6 , wherein the transistor is repeatedly turned on and turned off during the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode. 
     
     
       8. The display device of  claim 6 , wherein the driving signal has a voltage level changed during the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode. 
     
     
       9. The display device of  claim 6 , wherein the driving signal has a gate-on voltage that allows the transistor to be turned on during a first period in the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode, and a gate-off voltage that allows the transistor to be turned off during a second period subsequent to the first period. 
     
     
       10. The display device of  claim 9 , wherein the gate-on voltage includes a plurality of voltage levels that allow the transistor to be turned on to different degrees. 
     
     
       11. The display device of  claim 6 , wherein a voltage level of the driving signal is changed a plurality of times during each frame in the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode. 
     
     
       12. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein each of the pixels comprises:
 a light emitting device coupled between a first power source and a second power source; 
 a first transistor coupled between the first power source and the light emitting device, the first transistor comprising a first gate electrode coupled to a first node; 
 a second transistor coupled between the first node and a data line, the second transistor comprising a second gate electrode coupled to a scan line; 
 third and fourth transistors coupled in series between the first power source and the first transistor, the third and fourth transistors comprising third and fourth gate electrodes respectively coupled to a first control line and a second control line; and 
 a capacitor coupled between the first node and the first power source. 
 
     
     
       13. The display device of  claim 12 , wherein the panel driving circuit is configured to supply the same sensing data voltage to the pixels while sequentially supplying a scan signal having a gate-on voltage and a first control signal having a gate-off voltage respectively to the scan line and the first control line on each of horizontal lines provided in the fingerprint sensing area during each frame in the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode. 
     
     
       14. The display device of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the panel driving circuit is configured to simultaneously supply the same second control signal to the second control lines of the pixels during each frame in the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode; and 
 a voltage level of the second control signal is repeatedly changed to the gate-on voltage or the gate-off voltage during each frame. 
 
     
     
       15. The display device of  claim 12 , wherein:
 the display panel further comprises a plurality of pixels provided in the remaining display area except the fingerprint sensing area, each of the plurality of pixels having the same structure as each of the pixels provided in the fingerprint sensing area; and 
 the panel driving circuit is configured to continuously supply a second control signal having the gate-on voltage to plural instances of the second control line coupled to the pixels of the remaining display area. 
 
     
     
       16. The display device of  claim 1 , wherein, during the certain period when the display device is driven in the second mode, a voltage level of the driving signal is repeatedly changed corresponding to the light pattern, and a luminance of the pixels is changed corresponding to the voltage level of the driving signal.